Blindstitch sewing-machine.



C. ATHERTON. BLINDSTITOH SEWING MACHINE.

APPLICATION :FILED Nov. 2s, 1909.

l o Patented Jan. 6, 1914.

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' ITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

BLINDSTITCH SEWING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 23, 1909. j Serial No. 529,521.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ATHERToN, of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement. in Blindstitch Sewing-Machines, whereof the following is a specilication, reference being had to the accompanying drawing.

My invention is particularly adapted to the manufacture of endless collapsible leather bands for gas meter bellows, though not restricted to such use.

Heretofore, such bands have been made of strips of leather having their ends pasted and overlapped and having the outer overlapped edges blind stitched by hand. Such bands Inust retain gas under pressure, and, as the leather employed is but approximately one thirty-second of an inch thick extreme care must be exercised to avoid making holes through the bands when forming the blind stitches by hand.

My invention is advantageous in that it provides means to precisely and variably determine the position of the work with respect to the needle of an ordinary sewing machine, so that the blind stitching may be done mechanically much more rapidly and economically than by hand, and. without puncturing the bands.

As hereinafter described, my invention includes t-he combination with a suitable stitch forming mechanism, of a work carrier or carriers which may be successively inserted in the bands so as to travel therewith in the .machine during the stitching operation; being removably tted in guides which are adjustable with respect to the needle in correspondence with the thickness of the material which is to be sewed.

My' invention includes the various novel features of construction and arrangement herein described.

In the drawing:-Figure I is a fragmentary perspective view of one of the bands mounted upon a work carrier, separated from the machine. Fig. II, is a fragmentary sectional view, showing the relation of the band, its carrier and the machine needle during the stitching operation. Fig. III, is a fragmentary sectional view showing the blind stitched portion of the band extended in normal position. Fig. IV, shows a con venient arrangement of adjustable guide rollers for the work carrier.

In said figures: 1 is a collapsible leather bellows band having its opposite ends 2 and 3 overlapped and pasted. The carrier 4, is conveniently a plane strip of sheet metal, which being inserted in said band, the latter is folded over the straight edge 5 of said carrier so as to form the bight 6 through which the blind stitches 7 are made in co-nnection with the band end 3. The position of said straight edge 5 of the carrier 4, must be precisely determined with respect to the needle 9 of the stitch forming mechanism, so that the band shall not be perforated by the sewing operation, and any suitable guiding means may be employed for that purpose. However, said carrier may be conveniently provided with guiding means inbeneath and supports said carrier, and, the vertical rollers l1 and 12 which are fitted to the opposite straight edges of the carrier and mounted to rotate in the frame 14 which may be adjusted transversely with respect to the path of the carrier, by the opposite set screws 17 and 18 which are adjustable in the frame 20, which latter may be permanently secured to the bed plate 21 of the stitch forming mechanism.

The operation of the devices above described is as follows :-A series of similar carriers 4 are inserted within respective bands 1, which are to be stitched, and, the guide mechanism being precisely adjusted in accordance with the thickness of said bands, the latter are presented in proper relation with the needle 9, and progressed through the machine by and with said carl riers 4, which are then successively removed with the bands. Although a single carrier may be thus inserted successively in a series of bands, I find it economical to-provide a series of such carriers, so that while one person is operating the stitch forming mechanism another person may prepare the bands for insertion in the machine.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement herein set forth, as it is obvious that various modifications may be made therein without departing from the essential features of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

' l. 'Ihe combination with an ordinary sewing machine including a suitable stitch forining mechanism; of an attachment removable with respect to said sewing machine including a work carrier movable in the direction Patented J an. 6, 1914.

cluding the horizontal roller l() which fits ico of the line of stitches with the material being stitched,comprising a horizontal plane metal strip having a straight edge extending parallel with the line of stitches; and, means arranged to guide said carrier in its traverse with respect to the stitch forming mechanism, including a horizontal roller extending beneath said carrier; vertical Arollers iitted to the opposite longitudinal edges of said carrier, and means arranged to adjustably vary the posit-ion of said guiding means, including opposed set screws and a support for the same in stationary relation with said stitch forming mechanism.

2. The Combination with an ordinary sewing machine including suitable stitch forming mechanism; of an attachment removable with respect to said sewing machine including a work carrier movable in the direction of the line of stitches with the material being stitched, comprising a horizontal plane metal strip having a straight edge extending parallel with the line of stitches; means arranged to guide said carrier in its traverse with respect to the stitch forming mechanism, including vertical rollers fitted to the opposite longitudinal edges of said carrier; and, means arranged to adjustably vary the position of said guiding means in accordance with the thickness of the material being stitched, including opposed set screws` and a support for the same in stationary relation with said stitch forming mechanism. 3. In a blind stitch sewing mechanism, the

combination with a stitch forming mechanism; vkof a work carrier consisting only of a plane sheet metal strip of uniform width and substantially uniform thickness; and, a guide including vertically extending arallel members adapted to receive said strip between them and guide it infits traverse with respect to the stitch forming mechanism; whereby, said strip is free to be removed and replaced vertically with respect to said guide. f

4. In a blind stitch sewing'mechanism, the combination with a stitch forming mechanism; of a work carrier consisting only of a plane sheet metal strip of uniform width and substantially uniform thickness; and, a guide including a vertically extending member; whereby, said Strip is free to be removed and replaced vertically with respect to said guide.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this nineteenth day of November,

CHARLES ATHERTON. Witnesses:

S. E. SIMMoNDs, F. A. NORDEMAN. 

